Friday, August 16, 2013

BOOK REVIEW - EMBRACE by JESSICA SHIRVINGTON - THE VIOLET EDEN CHAPTERS # 1 -HACHETTE - SOURCEBOOKS

By: Jessica Shirvington
Published By: Hachette, Sourcebooks
Released: Available Now
Details: Paperback, 382 Pages

RATING: 4 TEAM LINCOLN STARS WITH A BIG CALORIE FILLED HELPING OF BAD BOY PHOENIX!

Blurb: Goodreads

It starts with a whisper: “It’s time for you to know who you are…”

Violet Eden dreads her seventeenth birthday. After all, it’s hard to get too excited about the day that marks the anniversary of your mother’s death. As if that wasn’t enough, disturbing dreams haunt her sleep and leave her with very real injuries. There’s a dark tattoo weaving its way up her arms that wasn’t there before.

Violet is determined to get some answers, but nothing could have prepared her for the truth. The guy she thought she could fall in love with has been keeping his identity a secret: he’s only half-human—oh, and same goes for her.

A centuries-old battle between fallen angels and the protectors of humanity has chosen its new warrior. It’s a fight Violet doesn’t want, but she lives her life by two rules: don’t run and don’t quit. When angels seek vengeance and humans are the warriors, you could do a lot worse than betting on Violet Eden…









BOOK REVIEW by Michelle:



OOoO I really liked this book! It was a real page turner for me. I love a book that has me getting all antsy about the lad that loves the girl but isn’t allowed to and the bad boy who steps in and swipes the girl right from under his nose.

As bloggers we can forget that we read more than the average bear sometimes and although we have come across this scenario before, others may be new to it. If I am entertained, and I get that 3D emotional experience, then I am a happy reader.

I loved the chapters each have a quote, some biblical, some not. I enjoyed reading those.

Lincoln is a gorgeous character, he has his secrets and he has only good intentions for Violet.

Phoenix is the bad boy. What are his intentions? 

'Why are you so afraid to be more than ordinary?'

I connected with Lincoln from the get go. He is such a great character, but then Jessica separates us from him...dang it! She gets Phoenix to win us over with his charms and bad boy looks. We haven’t forgotten Lincoln, but Jessica makes us like the bad boy. 

Too much.

Violet is in love with Lincoln. Her father is very busy with his architecture business and leaves Violet to her own devices. Dad trusts Lincoln and he likes Steph her bff.

Dad is totally oblivious to what is happening in his daughter’s life. He is quite out of touch with her. He loves her, pulls the daddy strings every now and then, but he is busy. This, Violet doesn’t mind. She is used to being let down by her father. It gives her more freedom than the average teenager to be out at night getting mixed up in a world she hadn’t known existed. A dangerous world where humans can wind up dead, just for being in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Jessica doesn’t hold back when it comes to a bit of violence. Us poor humans are fragile beings.

The villains are quite horrendous with what they like to do to humans, and Jessica spells it out nicely.

Steph is a great character, fun, endearing and spontaneous. She really lives up to the title of bff. 

‘If they’re boarding the ark, you better let me know, I have more than most to pack.’



Violet is more reserved. She has a skeleton in her closet that led her to meeting Lincoln. She took a self defence class and now Violet and Lincoln are great friends...

Until...da...da... daaaaaaa!

I thought Violet was very hard on Lincoln in the initial drama. The guy doesn’t have a bad bone in his body. He is hurting and Phoenix takes Violet away from him. He has to sit back and watch.

Violet is taking a crash course in the new direction her life has taken and she doesn’t like this direction very much. She will fight it.

Will it win?

What will she choose?


To be honest, I personally felt like Violet was rather selfish emotionally at times in Embrace. I know that there were other things in play, but, she was a little, ‘me, me.’ I thought Lincoln really didn’t do anything wrong. He has his rules and if anything he only has her best interests at heart. She didn’t really give him a chance to put his case forward.

But of course all this new information in her life is a bit of a head case for her and she acts the only way she knows how to with it all.

I know we will see growth in Violet’s character as I read more in the series.

I did work out some of the story line, but that didn’t matter, I was having a great time in Jessica’s world.

I am left with two guys that I really like and feel sad for. I am Team Lincoln but there is something to be said for a bad boy. 

Things are very complicated between Lincoln and Violet. There are rules.

‘Kiss me,’ I whispered.

The hands on my face froze. Another wave of the senses pummelled through me.

‘Kiss me, please!’ This time I was screaming.

He slammed into me, crashing through the barriers. So perfectly moulded to my mouth, he pushed my lips apart and ... we melted. The same cool, pure breeze I had felt after Lincoln had touched me when I first held the wristband galloped through my body, through my soul....

He pulled me closer. Kneeling in front of me, he kissed me intensely and I felt ... right. Morning and evening slipped away. It was just us. Silence surrounded us. My heart leapt and I kissed him back, knowing so truly that I loved him. My heart cried and I pulled away, knowing so truly that he had betrayed me.

I fell to the ground.

He fell to the ground.

I cried.

He screamed.



Phoenix has a closet full of secrets that are slowly tumbling out of it. Violet can only handle so many secrets from that closet. 


‘Look Violet, here’s the thing. Grigori are not usually ... friends with exiles. In a way, we’re natural enemies ...’

‘One day, Violet,’ he stood and then pulled me up to leave, entwining his fingers with mine and tugging on the tip of my baseball cap, ‘I’ll tell you everything.’


At one stage I was yelling NOOooOOooOOoooo at my book. 

WT!!!

I can’t help but shake my head at what happens between Phoenix and Violet while Lincoln is pretty much on his death bed and time is of the essence.

The clock is ticking people!! 

I did want to shake Violet as poor Lincoln needed her, desperately. 

Phoenix has a gorgeous name and he knows how to seduce. This is the only reason I can give Violet a free pass for her indiscretion. It's a little hard to fight what Phoenix is sending your way.

Holy mac and cheese!! 

Phoenix was pretty damn close to a perfect brooding hottie; that is, if I hadn’t already seen total perfection in someone else. His dark hair fell around his face, shimmering with waves of purple and silver, and his physique looked like it was made to be in Calvin Klein underwear ads.

I love Hades Night Club, love the name. 

Embrace has a great YA vibe but it also lends itself very nicely to adult readers.

Jessica gave me a page turner that was impressive to read. I can see why this series is being made into a TV project.  I took the following information from the links below.

Breaking news for The Violet Eden Chapters as US based CW Network and Steven Spielberg's Amblin Television sign on for a TV adaption of the exciting novels. The series is already being compared to the likes of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, The Vampire Diaries and Twilight! The announcement came via online entertainment sources, Deadline and Hollywood Reporter and has quickly spread all over the world (ie. Australia: SMH) No details on when production will start, but we're keeping an eye out for any new information. - See more at: http://www.violetedenchapters.com.au/#sthash.gek8tQ8U.dpuf



Embrace has a really great TV vibe to it with Lincoln and his warehouse accommodation, the anonymous city they are in ( or did I miss a name??) , Violet and her art, bad boy Phoenix, Angels, Exiles, Grigori. The action mixed in with the smexual tension and violence and the ambience of night to bring all those dangers that much more exciting. 

Not to mention that triangle of emotions between three characters.

I so badly want to see a piece of art by Violet. I want that wall painted up at Lincoln’s .

I really enjoyed all the Angel mythology which is fed to us easily. I sometimes get a bit head mushed when I am reading about Greek mythology in books as I never studied it at school so it can get a bit heavy on my head. Jessica does a really great job of her Angel Mythology.

I can’t wait to crack open Entice as I am rather nervous about Phoenix. He was a good bad boy in Embrace, but.....EEeeeeee. How will he behave in Entice?


Michelle


3 comments:

  1. I don't think I'll be reading this book anytime soon but I do get why this is popular in the blogosphere. Too bad I'm not into YA still! I just read one and that's it. Maybe next week I'll try again!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hey Matey,

      These books for me personally, get better and better. I LOVED # 4 Endless. :D

      Mich

      Delete
  2. Nice review! It's neat when an author can neatly tie everything together to create a stunning ending.

    ReplyDelete

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